India’s literacy rate stands at 64.8%

Saturday 10 July 2004

NEW DELHI, JULY 10: As much as 64.8 per cent of India’s population is literate while Uttar Pradesh continues to be most populous state followed by Maharashtra, according to details of the 2001 Census released on Saturday.

Male literacy went up by 11 per cent and female literacy by 14.4 per cent as compared to the figures in the 1991 Census.

Banthia said Uttar Pradesh with 166 million people has a population which is more than the estimated population of Pakistan. It is followed by Maharashtra (97 million) and Bihar (83 million). Lakshadweep has the lowest population of only 61,000.

India added about 182 million people between 1991 and 2001, which is more than the estimated population of Brazil, the fifth most populous country in the world, he said.